A Curse of Beauty
by ametherel
Summary: AU: Trying to get back to the original tale. Belle is a girl who dreams of heroic adventures and romance like in her books, but she soon realizes that life isn't always happily ever after.Warning: some mature content ahead, so please be Advised! p.s. I MAY segway back to the original OUAT storyline but I havent decided how...
1. the dark figure at the Ball

**Disclaimer: TRIGGER WARNING. alright, just so everyone is aware, there is a very dark scene at the end of this chapter (I have marked the place) that deals with depictions of non/con and attempted rape. I tried not to make it too graphic, but just be aware. I will place a disclaimer at the beginnings of chapters that may have other scenes of similar violence. I hope you enjoy!**

Her breath could be seen in the air as she silently ran through the thick of the woods. Panting, she pushes the branches of nearby trees out of her path, quickly side stepping any jagged rocks or tree roots as she sprints toward her goal. The nighttime creatures made their noise as she forced her way through more of the bushes and oak trees that blocked her path, just the owls sounding, the crunching of branches under her foot and her heavy breathing surrounded the night.

Finally coming to a clearing, Belle makes a sudden stop in her tracks, looking onward to her destination. The full moon lights the opening of the trees and illuminates her father's Manor, allowing Belle to finally see a clear path back home. Ducking back to follow the tree line, Belle keeps an eye out for any guards that may be keeping watch over the grounds of the manor.

Escaping into the kitchen gardens Belle silently slips through the glass doors leading to the solarium on the side of her father's home. Straining her ears for any sound of servants that may still be awake, Belle silently moves toward the doors leading from the Solarium into the servants' quarters. Quietly Belle shut the door behind her and looked around. The servants' hall is dark, but down the hall to her right she can see a flicker of light and hear soft voices laughing. Biting her lip and keeping her eyes on the light, Belle heads the opposite way toward the darkness of the hall. Inching along, her left hand traces along the wall while quickly following the curve of the hall, leading toward the doorway to the back stairwell.

A sound of a door opening makes Belle's dark eyes go wide, a small gasp escapes her lips and she quickly ducks into an empty room just before the stairwell. Belle stealthily holds the door closed, not all the way so she can still see into the hallway. Hearing whispers, Belle quickly backs away from the door, fearing she will be caught. Her breath hitched in her throat as she waits for the all clear. Her mind races when she remembers the events of the night.

The soft glow of the orange fire on his face, his green eyes sparkling while beholding her presence. Yes she was in love. Sighing Belle leans back against the door, almost closing it shut. It happened all so quickly, how fast she fell in love with Adam, but she wasn't surprised, it was just as her books had told. However, having to tell her father that she fell for the son of the local baker was not going to be an easy task, considering her father's position of Lord of the Marshlands.

Finally Belle sensed that the coast was clear. She slipped back out into the darkened hall and bounced up the back stairs, two at a time. Finally reaching the second floor, Belle quickly scanned the area before running down the red carpeted hallway that lead to the family quarters of the Manor. Skidding around the corner and holding onto the dark wood bannister, steading herself before crashing into something Belle raced toward her room, swinging open her bedroom door she quickly shut the door behind her and leaned up, breathing out a long sigh of relief. Yet another successful night of sleuthing.

"And where have you been my dearest daughter?"

Belle's eyes shot open and she gasped as she saw her father sitting comfortably on the chair by her fireplace, she didn't even notice him when she not so gracefully ran into her room. Belle let out a defeated sigh. Looking up through her lashes she gave the old man a little smile, hoping to hid the shame and guilt and coerce him into sudden forgiveness, if such thing was needed.

Maurice only smirked at Belle, shaking his head, knowing her game.

"You cannot flutter your eyes at me and expect me to melt. I have become immune; your mother always did the same thing." The Lord Maurice stood his grand stature overpowering Belles petite frame. A frown formed on his face. "I was worried Belle, worried sick." His voice was calm but his eyes betrayed him, a bundle of nerves. Belle could read his expression easily and suddenly she felt guilt wash all over her.

Biting her lip Bell hung her head in shame. "I'm sorry Papa." She whispered, silently glad Maurice was a gentle soul and not keen to outbursts.

Maurice simply sighed and raised his eyebrows at his youngest daughter. Her dark brown mane was tied up away from her face as was the fashions of a young lady of noble birth, but few loose curls had escaped and were plastered on her face, her cheeks were rosy from the cold night and her eyes were fierce and dark in the dimly lit room. Maurice finally smiled at his daughter, the spitting image of her late Mother. He was proud of the young woman, how sweet she was, and so unlike her two older sisters in both appearance and personality. His little rose, his Belle. Shaking his head in defeat, Maurice simple encased his youngest within his large arms; Belle smiling as she openly kissed her father's cheek.

"It won't happen again I promise. I hate to make you worry, really."

Maurice looked down at Belle, suddenly concerned. "This is the fifth time you've snuck out in the middle of the night," Maurice raised a hand at Belle's shock settling any words she may try to form

"You're not as stealthy as you think you are little rose. I am the Master of this house and nothing escapes my knowledge. Now, why Belle? Where do you go off to?" Maurice watched his daughters face carefully as her mouth opened then shut again, as if thinking about what to say to her Father.

"I-I just…" suddenly Belles nerves went out, she couldn't tell him, not tonight. Though she had promised Adam she would she just didn't have the courage to do it, not yet, not now.

"I found this tree, by a lake. It's the best place to read, I like to go there and think sometimes" Belle winced at the terrible lie she told her father. But Maurice, sensing Belle's reluctance to share her comings and goings didn't push any further, only nodded in mild amusement.

"Perhaps in the morning over breakfast you could, elaborate, on your new reading spot. That you go to. In the darkness. To read." Maurice gently planted a kiss on top of his daughters head and headed out the door. "To bed little beauty, no more reading by the moonlight". And smiling he closed the door behind him.

Belle sighed and hung her head in shame. She hated lying to her Father; tomorrow morning would be the day. Belle nodded her head in agreement with her thoughts as she stripped off her muslin dress and slinked on her nightgown. The morning will be the perfect time to finally tell her father about her true love.

All confidence Belle might have felt before dozing off to sleep vanished with the night, and she sat at the breakfast table quietly eating her porridge as her two sisters babbled on and on about what dresses they would wear to the upcoming Ball and what young gentlemen they may meet there. Maurice silently ate his meal as well, smiling fondly at his girls talking animatedly, every so often stealing a glance at his youngest, who appeared to be trying to disappear into her seat.

The eldest, Josette twirled a lock of golden hair around her finger as she thought hard about which of her new dresses she would most prefer to wear. "The light blue would go with my eyes of course, but then the Ball will occur at night so maybe I should go with the darker blue. Edward does dote upon me; he brought back four different necklaces, all matching the sapphire of my ring." Josette smiled and stretched out her hand, dangling her enormous engagement ring under her middle sister's nose. Rosalind rolled her eyes at the gesture, quietly greening with envy. Rosalind was tall like her father with fair hair and light blue eyes which darkened and sneered at her oldest sister with distaste.

"I don't see why you should really care about what you look like anyway sister dear, you're already engaged, no need to primp yourself up like a silly peacock." Rosalind said smoothing out her pink skirts and ignoring Josette's massive eye roll.

Maurice took this break in the conversation to change the subject from pretty dresses to Belles mystery.

"So Belle, tell me about this tree you found." He smiled cunningly at his youngest. Josette and Rosalind glanced at their petit sister. "Tree? Is that what you told Father you were doing?" Josette snorted. Rosalind tried badly to fight the smile creeping on her face.

Maurice folded his hands on the table looking from his two fair haired eldest daughters, sucking his teeth and smiling. "Ah I see I am the last one to know. Well please Belle; bring me in on your little secret."

Belle glared at her two sisters as they both silently settled into their cold porridge. Sighing Belle straightened up in her chair, her face reddening in embarrassment. Glancing at her Father she knew now was the time. Belle opened her mouth to speak when suddenly the door opened and in strolled Edward with a wide smile on his face and boxes under his arms, his dark hair shining in the morning light. Josette burst into a lovely smile squealing as Edward placed the packages on the floor at her feet.

Clamping a hand on his future father in laws shoulder, Edward smiled at each sister and greeted the room.

"I hope everyone had a splendid evening last night before I left, nothing too interesting happened between dinner and now did it?" Edward lounged on the seat across from Belle and next to his future wife who was already onto package number three, Rosalind jealously fingering the Sapphire broach that was hastily placed on the middle of the table.

"Oh Edward, it's just beautiful!" Josette squealed "And you got that hat I so wanted!" immediately Josette jumped out of her seat and ran over to the mirror hanging over the Credenza between the doors leading out to the terrace. Belle slouched back into her chair, sudden relief flowing over her at the distraction. Edward was at once engaging his future father in law with talk of his travels to the North Kingdoms.

Belle slipped out of the dining room and headed toward the library, a worried frown spreading across her face. Maybe it wasn't meant to be; maybe it was best she didn't tell her father about Adam. Sighing, Belle crossed her father's library toward her usual window seat, and finding the book she had abandoned the previous day. She knew her father would find out soon what she had been up to, but she just was not prepared to face him just yet. She closed her eyes, praying for the courage to speak up, before finally diving into the worlds presented within her book, of adventure and thrilling escapades. Belle reminisced over her meeting with Adam again, a flush rising in her cheeks, still feeling his warm hand upon hers. She could hear his nervous boyish chuckle and see his sandy hair and green eyes in her mind. She had to tell her father, she just had to.

Time flew by as Belle finished her first book and moved onto the next book, this time about princes and damsels in distress. She smiled as she imagined the thrill she experienced sneaking out of her father's house, to meet with her crush. Belle never had many friends, preferring to stay inside reading, and dreaming of far off places and dashing princes. Adam was a quiet boy, reminding her of her Father. He would never be a Duke like Edward, or even have much money to his name, but she hoped his gentleness would ease her father's mind. She had decided that Adam was the one, not that she had really took the effort to meet anyone else, with her nose stuck in books all the time. But she was sure he was the one. Belle's eyes drifted out the bay window over the gardens of her father's house. She watched the gardeners working and let her mind drift away over the mist of the day, imagining she was a bird flying free, adventuring to the north and to the south. She sighed dreamily resting her head on the cold perspiring glass.

Maurice cleared his throat jostling Belle from her daydream. She looked at him with her wide dark eyes and then smiled faintly, a trace of dimple in her left cheek. He motioned for Belle to join him on the couch that lay in front of the oak fireplace by the entrance of the library. Belle gingerly stepped out of her seat at the window and cuddled next to her father, like she used to do when she was still a small child. Maurice sighed and looked down at his daughter. "Where do you go at night Belle? Should I be worried, because I am."

Belle sighed and straightened up. Taking a deep breath she blurted out what was sitting guilty on her chest all day. "Papa" she started "Papa I met him, I met the one, and I-I'm in love." She stole a glance at her father, holding her breath and tensing her shoulders. Maurice only frowned at his daughter. "A boy?" he raised his eyebrows "You sneak out, to see a boy? Alone?" suddenly he looked uneasy.

Belle's brow furrowed "No, it's not like that…" she started but Maurice tightened his mouth in a frown.

"Who is he? Where did you meet him? What sort of gentleman meets with a young girl at night alone without a chaperone?" his voice was slightly raised, a look of worry in his eyes. Belle's mouth slacked open trying to find the words; her father stood pacing the floor. "This is inappropriate Belle. Very inappropriate, do you know what would happen if people found out?"

"Nothing happened Father, I promise, we just talk, and-and hold hands, that's all! There's nothing inappropriate about it." Bell stammered but her father was shaking his head.

"It is unacceptable. Who is he, do I know him?"

Belle's voice was small. "Adam, his father is the baker; he lives in the village…"

Maurice stopped anger in his eyes. Without a word he stalked out of the room. Belle quickly got up off the couch and raced after her father, pleading him to listen, to understand.

Maurice moved down the stairwell to the servants' quarters, entering just in time as Adam, the baker's son was delivering bread for his father. Upon seeing Maurice's stern look, the young man paled.

"You! You are never to deliver here again, do you hear me." Maurice's face was red; anger was not an emotion he felt on a regular basis. "Stay away from my daughter!" with that Adam quickly nodded and ran out of the kitchen, the kitchen staff standing stark still watching their employer huff and puff. Turning on his heel, Maurice found Belle, standing in the entrance way with tears in her eyes.

"Papa…" Belle sobbed, to deaf ears.

Both Maurice and Belle were silent at the dinner table that night. Josette, Rosalind and now Edward all still talking about the upcoming Ball, this time the focus on who was to be expected.

"Do you think Jonathan will be there? What with his Mother being ill, I do hope he will be able to make it, he so looks forward to meeting you Rosie" Edward winked at his future sister in law Rosalind, whose swanlike neck became dotted with crimson flush.

Belle aimlessly moved her food around her plate, her mood despondent. If Maurice noticed he didn't make any comment on it. Instead he wiped his mouth and interjected.

"Edward, I do hope to be seeing your brother Gaston at the ball tomorrow night. Such a strapping young man."

Belle looked up at her father, eyes narrowed, knowing full well where this was going.

"Indeed." Edward smiled heartily and then looking at Belle leaned forward "you know he will never stop speaking of you little Belle. The last time he met you he came home absolutely enthralled with you."

Belle stared at her future Brother. Gaston Desrosier was certainly dashing and charming; however he was always so conceited and dull. Belle had despised his advances, and rolled her eyes at his shallow attempts at flattery. Her father, as she recalled, only laughed and poked fun at Belle after she complained to him. But now, suddenly Maurice decided that Gaston was strapping and interesting.

Belle's fury built up inside her. She closed her eyes as Edward continued to fill the others in with Gaston's hunting achievements, breathing in and out slowly in an attempt to calm down and try not to cry at the table. She glanced at her Father, hoping to show him how hurt she was, but he didn't acknowledge his daughter, but instead smiled and exclaimed how much he looked forward to meeting with the handsome man at the Ball.

Belle absently brushed her dark hair as she sat at her vanity. Her eyes were blotchy and wet from crying, not a good look on her she had to admit. She could feel her heart beak whenever she remembered the horrified look on her father's face when she announced her love, or Adam cowering at her father's presence in the kitchen before running out of her life.

She knew she would never be alone with Adam again; he would never have the courage to fight for her. She sighed finally placing the brush on her vanity. She glanced at the Yellow gown her maid had hung in her closet for the Ball tomorrow night. She did not look forward to dancing, to talking with boring nobles who said the same things and did the same things. She especially did not look forward to seeing Gaston, the mindless bore. Suddenly her life was back where it was, in the same old rhythm as before. Soon Josette will be married, Rosalind will be engaged, and then it will be Belle who everyone will focus on finding a husband for. Belle sighed dramatically and fell onto her bed, staring up at the creamy canopy that hung over her bed. "When will life happen for me?" Belle whispered to her empty room before begrudgingly drifting off to sleep, dreaming of a dark and mysterious stranger, coming to sweep her to a far off place…

That morning, Belle groggily woke to the sounds of her sisters bickering loudly in the rooms adjoining hers. Rubbing her eyes, Belle stumbled over to her vanity mirror and tried to focus on her image as her hand reached for the brush. Her eyes were puffy from crying, she sighed at the reflection of the golden dress hanging. In the light she saw tiny golden flecks bounce off the bodice, ever so slightly. The door to her room flung open in in came belles two sisters still talking loudly and opening Belle's wardrobe all the way to scour for shoes.

"Come right on in, make yourself at home to my closet please" Belle sighed.

"Why are you wearing the blue one, We decided that blue was My colour" Josette aimlessly tossed Belles shoes out of the closet one pair at a time, Rosalind folding her arms across herself, rolling her eyes toward Belle.

"You have four new dresses Josette, I just have the two, and the best one is my blue dress. You should change what YOU'RE wearing. And since when was blue your colour?"

Josette pulled out the silver heels she had been looking for and stood with triumph on her face, which quickly turned to a frown when she stood and glared at Josette.

"Fine Rosalind, I will wear my cream bright green instead, it will show off the necklace Eddy brought me from the Northern Kingdoms anyway. Belle dear, I'm going to be wearing these, alright?" Josette smiled triumphantly in Belles direction and didn't wait for a response before dancing over to pick up the Gold dress hanging on the door of the wardrobe.

"It's a bit flashy for you don't you think little Belle?" Josette placed the dress in front of her body and stared at the reflection in the full length mirror before deciding that Gold was not her colour. Belle merely sighed at her sister and went back to tackling her mane.

Josette shared a knowing smile with Rosalind before jumping on Belles unmade bed. "I take it we won't be soon calling the bakers son Brother anytime soon?" Josette raised an eyebrow at Belle mockingly, Rosalind only giggled, picking up a pink rose that was sitting in the vase on Belles vanity and twirling it between her tapered fingers. Belle's eyes only watered in response. Josette frowned and sat in the bed. Soon she crossed the threshold over to where Belle sat and crouched down beside her sister, planting a warm hand on the girls knee.

"Oh Belle, sweet little Belle. He's not the only boy out there you know"

Rosalind nodded knowingly adding "He was far below our station anyway, you can do so much better."

Belle dropped her head in her hands in response with tears in her eyes, Josette pinching Rosalind in the arm making her suck in her breath in pain.

Josette suddenly perked up. "Gaston will be at the Ball Belle. You know how he adores you, you lucky girl!"

Belle looked at her sisters and pouted. "I don't want him to dote on me, I'm not interested, and I love Adam!"

Josette sighed and stood up, "You will soon get over it Belle. Believe me. And when you do, Gaston will be there to sweep you off your feet. One look in his handsome face and you will forget the Bakers sons' name." Belle begrudgingly walked over to the gold dress which was now flung carelessly on the bed. Thinking about Gaston made her dread attending the ball now more than ever.

The carriage dropped the sisters and their father off in front of massive front steps of the Manor home of the Duke of the West ends. Servants bowed as they entered though the massive entrance hall, placing their cloaks in the waiting hands of the footmen. Edward was soon at Josette's side, first shaking Lord Maurice's hand then taking Josette's arm and steering her toward the ballroom. Maurice held onto the arm of his second child Rosalind and guided her towards the ballroom, Belle following closely behind. The Grand Marshall nodded his head at Maurice before announcing his arrival. "The Lord Maurice and his daughters Miss French and Miss Belle French." The three gently walked down the staircase toward the dancing party below, Rosalind's head held high showcasing her best feature as her light blue dress elegantly draped to the floor. Belle tried her best keep her features neutral as she held onto her father's arm, picking up the hem of her Golden gown so she doesn't trip.

Across the room, Belle spotted the tall dark and very handsome Gaston Desrosiers flirting shamelessly with a group of women who had congregated around him. Belle had to refrain from rolling her eyes as the girls laughed in unison at something Gaston said. Quietly Belle followed her Father as he lead Rosalind around the room, obviously showcasing his next available daughter, her smile beaming as she bowed to this duke and that Lord. Belle looked around at the room, which was exquisitely decorated in white and light soft pink, the chandelier glistening from the ceiling. Belle became mesmerized by the colourful splashes of colour as people danced around to the music. She didn't even notice as Gaston made his way toward her and her family.

"Lord Maurice! It's good to see you, and Rosalind such a beauty in blue, blue is your colour" Gaston flashed a set of pearly whites at Rosalind as she demurely bowed her head in appreciation, her neck becoming tinged with red. Maurice smiled warmly at Gaston.

Gaston soon turned his attentions onto Belle, grabbing her small hand and wetly kissing her knuckles.

"My lady Belle, I've been thinking about you every day since we met" he winked at her and she tried her best not to grimace with disgust. Without a word Gaston held out his arm, expecting Belle to allow him to lead her to the dance floor. With a stern look from Maurice Belle begrudgingly snaked her arm into Gaston's. Gaston's chest puffed out like a bird as he grasped Bell around her small waist pulling her closer to him. Belle sighed and followed suit as Gaston whirled her around. Every time they passed a mirror, Belle caught Gaston admiring his own reflection, and there were a lot of mirrors in the ballroom.

Gaston launched into a story about hunting wild boar with Prince James, boasting about how he was the one who caught the biggest and Wildest Boar the South has ever seen. Belle smiled weakly at the story, one she heard last time they had met.

"You know Belle; you're a very lucky lady." Belle's mind jumped back to her dance partner, eyeing him quizzically. "It's not every day I see a woman who is on the same level as me. It's so hard finding someone who understands the challenges of being desired so much, you know?" Gaston smiled at her, proud of his supposed complement. Belle again tried her hardest not to roll her eyes. Gaston is after all Edwards brother; best not upset the future in laws, lest dinners become awkward. _I'm doing this for Josette, think of Josette and Father. _ Belle thought to herself as she wordlessly twirled around the room with Gaston, ignoring the jealous stares from many a lady that night. Praying that the dance would soon be over Belle tuned out Gaston's babbling and focused on the dark figure that just noticed standing off to the side, wordlessly staring into the dazzling array of dancers. His face was obscured by the shadows of the Terrace curtains, but Belle could feel a sizzling in the air.

"… We can spend summers at my country house, my latest kill roasting on the fire, the little ones running around while you massage my feet." Belles mind snapped back to Gaston who was grinning down at her. "I was thinking about 5 or 6." Belle blinked.

"What?"

"Kids, I think we should have about 5 or 6. Maybe 7." Gaston winked.

Belle merely stared at Gaston. She suddenly was in no mood to dance.

"Uh, look Gaston, you're really great. And-and very handsome," Gaston tisked in mock humility

"But I'm sorry, I'm not interested in you that way."

Gaston rolled his eyes and laughed "you are too funny Belle, such a great sense of humor, I think I'm more in love with you than I was before." Gaston smiled widely.

"Incredible," Belle exclaimed under her breath as she broke away from Gaston, thankful that the music finally stopped.

"Gaston, I'm not going to marry you." Belle insisted. Gaston's smile never wavered.

"Oh I get it," He winked at Belle "wait until Rosalind is married, I completely understand, don't want big sis to feel left out eh."

Belle looked at Gaston with distaste before shaking her head and spinning around, heading toward the terrace. Gaston blinked at Belle as she left. "Wait, where are you going?"

~8888888888~

Belle let out a long exhale as she finally reached outside. Belle leaned her head against the cool stone wall of the Mansion, letting the cold night air envelope her, relaxing her as she steadily breathed in and out. The sounds of the bustling party drowning out amongst her deep inhales. Belle opened her eyes and stared out across the courtyard, the moon high and bright in the sky. She breathed deeply, collecting her senses and trying to calm her mind. The night was completely silent as Belle moved along the wall, admiring the hedge work and the flowerbeds. The night was too quiet. The hair on Belles arm suddenly stood up, a sizzling coming through the air. Stepping towards the hedge maze Belle followed her senses to the entrance of the maze. Something was off; Belle felt her curiosity taking a hold of her as she moved through the maze. Taking a right, Belle felt her ears perk up as she continued, a left turn lead her past a statue of a goddess, hiding in the hedge. Belle came to a dead end suddenly, whipping her head to the right; Belle followed her gut and aimed to near the center of the maze. The night was clear and the stars were bright, Belle was grateful for the light of the moon, though not as bright as a full moon, she felt her eyes were quickly adjusting to the dark as she wandered closer and closer to the center. She heard a rustling behind her, which made her spin around. "Hello?" she called out but with no reply. Belle tilted her head down, keeping her right ear in the air listening for any other movement; she let her left shoulder leader back toward the center of the maze. Belle's breathing became heavier as she felt more and more like she was not alone, her breath coming out in white puffs of smoke. She rounded a corner and jumped triumphantly into the center of the maze expecting something or someone to be there. But to Belles disappointment there was only a few benches and a modest sundial. Belle placed her fist on her hips and sauntered over to the sundial, flicking at the stone hand in dismay. Belle gave a final glace back up to the stars before deciding to find her way back out of the maze. Suddenly Belle crashed into a wide chest of a person, letting out a cry Belle stumbled back and clutched her heart. Gaston was smiling as Belle straightened herself, scowling at him.

"Gaston, what are you doing, you scared me half to death!" Belle's brow furrowed as she huffed out like an angry dragon, white smoke curling out her nostrils.

"I saw you entering this hedge maze. Didn't want you to get lost little Beauty." Gaston wagged his eyebrows knowingly.

Belle sighed loudly and started for the exit, Gaston stopping her grabbing her wrist.

"Hey, where are you going? I thought you wanted to be alone?"

"Yes Gaston, exactly." Belle attempted to continue but Gaston held onto his grip laughing as Belle struggled against him

"Gaston let me go!" Belle exasperated.

Gaston merely twirled Belle around finally grabbing her waist and pulling her close, Belle wiggled under him trying to get free

"Were just getting to know each other, come on Belle…" Gaston leaned in for a kiss but Belle had faster reflexes and ducked out of the way. Gaston merely laughed at the struggle, thinking it a game

"Oh come on Belle, don't play coy, it doesn't suit you. I know what you want, what you're thinking." He dove at her face again, but Belle, finally releasing one arm from his grasp shoved his face away

"Gaston, I'm not being Coy, I am not interested! Now let me go!" Belle only got angrier as Gaston fought her struggle.

Gaston finally grabbed a hold of the back of her head, holding her steady he smashed his mouth against hers, kissing her furiously, and ignoring her loud screams of protest. His grip got tighter on her waste and head as he hungrily smacked her face, trying to force her mouth open to accept his tongue. Finally he broke the barrier of her lips and thrashed his tongue against the inside of her mouth. Belle finally clamped her teeth down onto Gaston's tongue making him cry out in pain, releasing her from his grasp. Belle stumbled away from Gaston, wiping her mouth with disgust, horrified look on her face.

Gaston reeled back and stared at her, holding his mouth in pain

"Fucking Bitch!" he bellowed lunging at Belle. Brown eyes wide, Belle quickly moved out of his reach ducking down and heading to the exit as fast as she could. Her heart leapt up in her chest as she attempted to find her way out of the maze, turning left then right, Gaston was close on her tail, Stealing a glance backwards Belle stumbled on her Golden gown and fell face first into the grass. Looking back, she saw Gaston gaining on her, fire in his eyes. Fear leapt into Belles throat as she scrambled to get up, ripping the gold dress. Onward Belle went, trying to get free of the maze, suddenly though she ran into a dead end, her hands feeling the bush before her desperately, whipping back around her heart sank as she focused on the Tall man bounding toward her, blood on his lips, eyes wild with anger.

Heart sinking Belle froze in place, her chest heaving as she tried to collect her thoughts. Gaston stalked closer to her, Belle looked to her left and quickly tried to make an exit down the maze before Gaston gained on her, she tried in vain to continue on but Gaston was faster, grabbing at her billowing dress and making her fall forward on her face, her chin skinning the grass. Tears stung her eyes as the grown scraped her arms. Gaston grabbed her by the leg and dragged her toward him, Belle thrashing against his hold screaming. Belle's arms were soon held down in place over her head by one of Gaston's massive hands. His other hand smacked Belle in the face as she tried to scream once more, her throat already sore from running in the cold. Keeping her arms pinned Gaston hissed at Belle to shut up as he roughly grabbed her breasts and bit her shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain. She didn't understand what was happening. Stills he thrashed under him as he slid his filthy mitts up her dress, grabbing her thigh indelicately trying to rip at her stockings as she continued to fight him and scream. One more smack in the face left Belle reeling, Gaston quickly attempting to undo his breeches, his face red with anger. Only sobs came from Belle as she tried to continue to fight. His weight was heavy on her, her wrists were sore, blood could be tasted in her mouth, her tears blinding her as he continued to fumble with his pants and heaving her skirts up more so her thigh was now visible.

Suddenly Belle heard a cry and felt the weight come off of her, Belle scrambled away, trying to crawl to safety being suddenly free from Gaston's grasp. Belle stole a look towards Gaston and gasped. The dark figure had Gaston raised up over its head, his hand clutching tightly around Gaston's neck. Belle could see dark talon like nails and greyish skin on the dark figures hands. The figure was smaller than Gaston and yet lifted Gaston in the air as if he weighed nothing. The creature tossed Gaston backwards onto the ground, Gaston sputtering as he tried to breath. He tried to crawl away in vain but the creature was on him again, forcing Gaston upwards on his knees, his back against the creature, the creature's hands holding Gaston's neck. Belle let out a small cry and the hooded figure looked toward her. She could feel its eyes on her, burrowing into her face. Then without removing his gaze from Belle the creature quickly jerked his hands, and Belle heard a horrifying snap, Gaston crumbling to the ground lifeless. The creature slowly turned his body to face Belle, but made no quick movements. Letting out a whimper Belle quickly got to her feet, turned around and started running from the creature out of the maze. Looking quickly back she didn't see the creature, maybe he wasn't following her. Tears fearfully welled up in her eyes as she saw the exit and she stumbled out, fearful sobs escaping her lips. Belle collapsed in a heap on the ground once she made it back to the terrace, the party was still loud and moving freely. Belles eyes were wild with fear as she tried looking for her father, finally she saw him near the buffet talking to a fellow lord. Maurice's face went white when he saw his Belle, haggard and in tears, with grass stains on her dress and her hair mussed and matted. "Belle?!"

~8888888888~

"There's nothing here My Lord." The Guardsmen came out of the entrance of the maze, walking up to Lord Maurice and his shivering daughter. The Guards had searched the entire maze looking for Sir Gaston and the hooded creature but found not a trace of disturbance. Maurice glanced over towards Belle who stood wrapped in a blanket, Josette and Rosalind rubbing her shoulders. Her eyes seemed to be searching the entire hedge. "No, there has to be something. They were there! I saw it!" Belle began to plead with her father, grabbing onto his arm, large eyes watering as Maurice simply patted Belles hand.

"Well, you're safe now Belle. Perhaps we should be on our way." Maurice looked over to his other daughters, Rosalind looking humiliated, Josette hugging her fiancé.

Belle didn't tear her eyes off the entrance of the hedge maze as the party departed the area.

She knew what she saw; the evidence was on her torn dress. But suddenly Belle felt unsure of herself – It was real, what she saw was real. But Belle kept her mouth shut as they got into the carriage, her sister Rosalind fuming. Last thing she needs is to be locked away in an asylum- she would remain silent, but her mind would still be racing; racing towards the creature, the dark figure at the ball.


	2. A poor mans cottage

"I'm fine Papa." Belle didn't look up from her book but she knew Lord Maurice was watching her from his seat by the fire, worry in his face.

It had been almost five months since the incident at the ball, and Belle had almost pushed her ordeal to the back of her mind, but she was still watched with a careful eye from her father.

Maurice shifted in his chair, "Of course you are, I know that." Belle couldn't help the small smile that crept onto her face. Tossing aside her book she skipped over to where her father was and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed his cheek. "I'm _fine _Papa. I was fine yesterday, I am fine today, and I will be fine tomorrow and the next. Trust me, please." Maurice patted her arm and went back to gazing into the fire. Belle held her grip and watched as the orange flames licked around the fireplace, the heat blazing on her skin. Closing her eyes she could still feel the creatures presence, still see the grey skin and dark claws.

Someone at the door of the library cleared their throat causing both Maurice and Belle to look over.

"Sir," their butler Francis started "Mr. Chartrice is here, wishing to speak to you. He is in the study now, should I tell him you will be down?"

Maurice stood quickly and headed toward the door

"Yes yes, I will be right there."

Nodding the butler left the room.

Belle followed her father out of the library. Mr. Chartrice, the manager of Lord Maurice's estate was pacing the study when Belle and her Father entered, wringing his hands together stressfully. The tall blonde man quickly turned when Maurice entered the room and stalked over to shake his hand.

"Chartrice, I wasn't expecting you," Maurice started, Mr. Chartrice cutting him off

"Something terrible has happened sir, I- I need to speak with you alone, please." Mr. Chartrice glanced over at Belle with wide eyes. Maurice motioned for his daughter to leave the room, Belle reluctantly gave her father and Mr. Chartrice a small curtsy before leaving, closing the door behind her.

Belle found her father after left in his study, head in his hands.

"Papa? What's wrong?" Belle knelt down before her father, trying to make eye contact. She rubbed his arm and moved his hand away from his face. His skin was white as his hair, hands were sweaty. Belle looked at her father with fear.

"It's gone…" he whispered, as if fearing the mice would hear him

"All of it, gone."

Belle tilted her head in confusion grasping her father's hand. "What is? Papa what's gone?"

Maurice stood, letting go of Belle's hand and stalked over to the liquor cabinet, taking out a crystal decanter of a dark liquid, pouring a small glass, then raising the decanter up to his mouth and taking a long swig. Belle stood still, watching her father as he winced at the burning of the liquid.

"The estate, all our money, gone. We have nothing…" Maurice took another long swig.

Belle looked at her hands, then back at her father. How could this be?

"What happened papa?"

Maurice only waved his daughter away, not wanting to say anymore. Belle didn't know what to do or what to say. She searched her mind for the right words, sounds of comfort but came up with nothing.

"What does this mean for us Papa?" Belle squared her shoulders, deciding to be brave.

Maurice collapsed into the nearest chair and stared at the carpet, saying nothing. Finally he raised his eyes at his daughter; a smile fell on her face, gentle and loving. Maurice sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know my little rose, my Belle. I suppose we have to sell everything we can, sell the manor, our lands, our things…" Maurice waved a hand around then sagged in his seat.

Belle nodded slowly, her mind racing. Sell the Manor and their things? Looking at her distressed Father Belle calmly walked to his side, grabbed his hand and gave him a squeeze, making him look up into her smiling face.

"It will be alright Papa. Don't worry, we will manage. I shall make inquiries right this minute, let me and Rosalind handle things." Belle thought of her elder sister, this was not going to bode well with her, what with her not yet engaged to the Duke of Eastwick. Josette was married last month to Edward so she would be looked after. But Belle hoped that this change of situation would not affect Rosalind's prospects, knowing her fears of never finding a suitable husband (she was after all 22 already).

Maurice kissed his youngest daughters hand, and smiled at her with relief.

"You are my greatest treasure Belle; I don't know what I would do without my little beauty."

Belle grasped her father and hugged him tight around his neck, things weren't going to be that awful, not when they have each other. Belle smiled conspiratorially at her father, rubbing his hand in hers.

"Perhaps a life at a cottage is just what this family needs hmm?"

"A cottage? In the country!" cried Rosalind, dropping her spoon on the table with a clatter. The family had settled at the dining room table for afternoon tea, the maid serving the family tried not to show the alarm in her eyes as she swiftly picked up the empty plate where cucumber sandwiches once sat. Belle looked at Maurice with wide eyes, she knew this wasn't going to be easy.

"Yes Rosie. I told you, we can no longer sustain the same lifestyle we have grown accustomed to." Maurice wouldn't look his middle child in the eye but rather chose to stare at the table by her hands where the silver spoon was discarded.

Rosalind looked from her father to her little sister and back in disbelief, slouching in her chair, Rosalind gave a despairing sigh.

"How could we lose everything? Everything Papa? But… what about me? What will become of me? Of us?"

Belle held her breath and glanced at her father. His hand was rubbing his forehead as he tried to find the right words to calm his daughter.

"We will find something to do; perhaps you could find work somewhere…"

Rosalind scoffed at the idea. This was not what she had planned this season to be. She planned on parties and suitors, finding a rich husband, but suddenly all her plans were washing away. She glared at Belle, who appeared cool as a cucumber, maybe even a bit pleased. Rosalind stood up swiftly, tossing her napkin on the table and storming out the room, waving away the maid that was blocking her exit.

Belle reached for her water class and placed it to her mouth. "Well, that went very well, I think." She took a sip of her water as Maurice heaved a great sigh.

Rosalind took a final look at the grand Manor house she grew up in and gave a rather dramatic sigh before climbing into the carriage, her purple velvet cloak heaving along with her as she melted into the seat of the simplist carriage the family had. Selling the Manor had been easier to do than they had anticipated, a new family would now be the proud owners of the massive estate which had been in the possession of the French family for almost four generations.

The indoor staff stood in a row along the front entrance, graciously accepting the small gifts that Belle had made and wrapped for each and everyone, a few maids wiping stray tears from their eyes and they curtsied to their old mistress. Belle paused at the head housekeeper and gave the old woman a big hug and kiss on her cheek.

"Mrs. Miller, thank you for being so helpful with finding a place for us. I'm sure your new masters will take very very good care of everyone." Belle beamed at the woman as she wiped tears from her eyes and squeezed Belles hand in hers.

"I'm sure all your luck will change Miss Belle. Just you wait, don't give up hope now." Her Hazel eyes twinkled with a tinge of sandess, a soft smile on her face. She smoothed down Belles dark hair before letting go. Belle wiped tears from her eyes as she waved the rest of the servants' for a final goodbye and climbed into the carriage behind her father.

The house got smaller and smaller as the black carriage drove down the lane, the gardeners working the front gardens taking off their hats and waving as they passed through the gate. Belle wondered if she would ever see her childhood home again. She took a mental picture of how the large oak trees swayed with the gentle breeze, the swans swimming in the beautiful man made ponds near the gates of the manor. Belle stuck her head out the window and watched the sun through the leaves of the massive oaks that surrounded their old property, summer breeze cooling her cheeks.

Rosalind sniffled into her handkerchief making Belle sigh and pull back into the carriage. Her Father had his arm around his daughter and gave Belle a little smile. Unlike Rosalind, Belle was not too sad to leave the manor home behind and their many things. The only thing that saddened her was the fact that she would be leaving her books behind. Fortunately she was able to keep a few of her favorites. Belle patted the bundle in her lap, treasuring every last one she had.

It took two days to reach the small cottage. There were only three bedrooms, one for her father, one for the two servants, and his wife Bess, whom they were able to bring with them, and one for Rosalind and Belle to share together.

Rosalind was the first to inspect the small house, exclaiming loudly how awfully small the bedrooms were.

"How are we both going to fit in this room, this is undignified! It's impossible." Belle untied her cloak and laid it across a wooden chair in the kitchen. The main floor had two rooms, a sitting area which was painted a plain cream colour, the brick of the fireplace the same shade of white with blackening at the top, it was furnished with a small sofa and two meek armchairs, with a simple window that let in a soft light. Across from the sitting room was kitchen which also served as a dining area. Then there was the larder behind the stairs and a small closet for storage across. Upstairs were the two family bedrooms, the largest belonging to their father, and the entire attic was reserved for Mr. and Mrs. Jones. Belle found the place very charming, and made sure to say so to her father, who looked as if he had not slept for days. Belle sat him down in the most comfortable chair in the living area, motioning for Bess to get water from the pump so they can wash up. Belle removed her father's shoes and rubbed his feet to comfort him. Maurice smiled sadly at his little girl.

"Everything will be wonderful Papa, you'll see. We all have each other. And who knows, perhaps our luck will change." Maurice only nodded.

Belle stood and began placing wood in the fireplace to get heat into the cold house. Maurice watched in awe as she coaxed the flame into submission, and then getting up to help Bess with the water.

This will work; Belle was determined to make this work.

Rosalind sprawled out onto the couch with a massive and dramatic sigh, placing a cool hand to her forehead, as though she were a fainting damsel in distress. "I'm so bored!"

Belle smirked from her place by the fire, her darning forgotten by her feet as she turned the page to the final chapter of her book. Just a month in and each day was the same. Rosalind would wake up; scrunch her nose at the simple tea and porridge set out for breakfast. She would walk from the sitting room to the kitchen back to the sitting room, sigh and sprawl out on the sofa complaining about her dull and miserable life.

"This place is so… small and… ugh!" Rosalind dropped her arms heavily to her sides.

"Well you could help with the cleaning, maybe work in the gardens?" Belle mused turning another page.

Rosalind rolled her eyes at her little sister, sitting contently by the fire. The simple life was treating Belle very well, easily slipping into the position of happy little country girl. Her dark tresses were pulled back from her face and tied with a blue ribbon which matched her simple blue dress. An apron was tied around her waste, her usually white skin had a glow about it from time spent outside, her cheeks rosy from the fire. Hard work had toned the muscles in Belles arms and legs, making her less the skinny little girl and more the strong young woman. Belle had been completely content spending time within the cottage and working around the house alongside Bess and Mr. Jones, in fact she relished in the work and the solitude of the small house, never having to worry about parties and small talk and her father worrying about her finding a husband. Belle had decided to start her own small garden out in the back. She had brought with her pots of flowers and vegetable bushes from their old Manor home, determined to learn how to tend a garden. Belle spent many days outside, Bess teaching her how to weed and use the gardening tools they had at their disposal. Belle loved the feel of the earth on her bare hands and the fresh air and the sunlight. She cherished her time out doors tending her little garden. The rosebush was the first thing she had planted, placing it near the house. Soon it would creep up the wall of the tiny cottage and cover it with beautiful pink blossoms, Belle couldn't wait until spring arrived now.

Maurice and Rosalind on the other hand were not handling the simple living with the same grace as Belle. Maurice had lost weight since the move, and he was constantly going into town trying to find ways to make his wealth back. Belle was concerned for her father's health, he was not the same man, he was broken.

Belle finished the last page of her book and sighed happily closing the cover. Looking out the window Belle spotted her father rushing up the walk. A wide grin splayed across Belles face as she placed her book down on the armrest, standing up and stretching then making her way, past the despondent Rosalind and to the door. Belle quickly undid her apron and hung it up on the hook by the door. She smiled at her father as she helped him out of his overcoat, his eyes not meeting hers as he rushed into the kitchen to splash water on his face. Belle frowned and folded his coat over the chair at the kitchen table, motioning Bess to make the tea.

"Good day or bad day Papa, which was it?" Belle leaned on the basin, left hand fisted onto her hip. Maurice glanced up at Belle and gave a weak smile before splashing more cold water on his face. Belle raised her eyebrows at him and waited. Something was up and she wanted to know what. Maurice accepted the teacup that Bess handed him and took a sip of the hot beverage before placing it on the kitchen table and heading toward the stairs. Belle frowned and watched him silently amble up the stairs back to his room. Belle drummed her fingers on the wash basin, focussing on the stairs, wondering what Maurice was hiding from her.

"Tea miss Belle?" Belle shook herself out of her thoughts and smiled at Bess as she graciously accepted the drink. Taking a sip Belle thought about her father and his strange behaviour the past few days. He was hiding something, she was sure of it, but it wasn't like her father to keep things from her, especially important things. Maybe it wasn't important? Belle took another sip of tea, swirling the bitter drink around in her mouth before swallowing, her hand still drumming the basin.

"Would you stop that incessant tapping Belle! For God's sake!" Rosalind cried from her place on the sofa.

Belle raised her eyebrows at the very un-lady like outcry from her eldest sister. Yes the simple life did not fare well with the two. Belle decided to keep an eye on her Father, if he was hiding something, she would soon find out.

The creaking stairs made Belle turn from her spot at her bedroom window that night. The moon was full, beams of light streaming into the bedroom and casting eerie shadows across the sleeping face of her sister, her hair in kiss curls around her face, the moon highlighting the reddish tinge to her hair.

Belle moved from the window and tip toed over to the bedroom door, gently opening the door just enough to peer into the darkened hall. Maurice was inching slowly down the stairs, a small lamp in his hand to light his way. Belle bit her lip, her breathing getting heavier as she contemplated what to do.

Finally coming to a conclusion, Belle ducked back into the room and quickly changed into her blue dress, pulling her cloak off the hook and clasping it around her neck. She glanced over at Rosalind who had turned onto her side as Belle placed both her shoes on her feet. She forgoed pulling her hair out of her face, there wasn't enough time. Dipping out of the room and silently as she could shutting the bedroom door, Belle headed down the stairs, ingnoring the tiny creaks that escaped from her descent. She went out the back door and looked across the field and finding her father's figure moving away from the house passed the back garden and down the small hill, his lamp pinpointing his position. Belle followed a safe distance behind her father, every so often glancing back toward the house to gage how far they had gone. The air was chilly that night, and the clouds were covering what little light the moon would give, Belle would have to initiate her sleuth skills to be sure not to trip and make noise.

Belle watched as her father entered the woods, his light flickering nervously in the breeze. Belle furrowed her brow and followed her father into the wood dark woods. Belle moved branches away from her face and gingerly stepped around the foliage, making sure to not snap any twigs or make excessive noise. A wolf howled somewhere in the distance, but Belle never once let her eyes stray from her Fathers light. They passed a quiet brooke and moved downwards toward an opening in the Maurice stopped at a clearing, a crumbling wall encircled the place, ruins of a cottage perhaps, it was too dark for Belle to see. Maurice placed his light on the stone of the wall and glanced back toward where Belle was, Belle sucked in her breath and ducked behind a large tree, closing her eyes she prayed she hadn't been caught. Slowly looking over her right shoulder Belle watched as her father paced the clearing, mumbling to himself. She couldn't hear anything; So Belle decided she had to get closer. Gingerly Belle placed one foot in front of the other, making sure her steps were soft and yet swift. Inching toward the old man Belle could finally hear well enough to make out the one word Maurice was whispering over and over again

_Rumpelstiltskin…_


	3. What's in a name

The name sent a shiver down Belles spine, as she leaned against the outer wall of the ruined cottage, her breath coming out in gentle whisps of smoke. Again Maurice whispered the name: _Rumpelstiltskin. _As if in prayer to one of the Gods, fervently he said it over and over, every so often looking around the place as if expecting something to happen. Belles view was obstructed by a tree that had started to grow from within the cottage, but she could still see the flutter of her fathers cloak as he paced the area, hands wringing, face ashen and full of sweat.

The night became still as Maurice paced the yard, unaware of the change in the atmosphere, still pacing back and fourth saying that name over and over and over again.

What was he doing? Belle's curiosity made her immobile, unable to speak to her father to call out to him, though she wanted to. As Belle finally built up the courage to break her fathers fervency another voice was heard just by the wall to which Belle was hiding, a higher, more playful voice, very distinct from her Fathers. Belle quickly ducked back further behind the wall where she was hiding, so as to not be noticed. Her right arm stretched out , her hand flat holding the wall. She pressed her back against the cold grey stone, as if trying to disappear within the cracks. craning her neck, she placed a cheek to the stone, trying to hear.

"you called?" The voice was playful, but something in the tone made the hair on the back of Belles neck stand on end. When did the other person get here? Belle was so focused on her father that she must have not seen the stranger enter the rubble of the cottage. Not being able to see what was going on what driving Belle mad, but she was too afraid to move from her spot, half of her not wanting to know, the other half screaming for her to satiate her curiosity. No, she would not move, her ears would have to do.

"I- uh… I-" Maurice faltered, trying to remember what he had planned to say. He looked at the creature before him, no, the man before him. The moon was hidden by clouds and Maurices light had blown out the minute the man entered the clearing. Where did he come from?

The man raised an eyebrow at Maurice, his golden eyes seemed to glow in the dark. Maurice scanned the man before him, taking in every detail. The black leathers on his legs, the top portion of his outfit appeared to be dragon hide. His skin was grey and almost scale like but Maurice couldn't be sure in the dark. But it was the eyes that he felt the most, snearing at Maurice.

"You said my name over and over again, I may have to find a NEW one." The creature raised his hand in emphasis, his black claws waving in the air. The creature slowly started moving around the place, Maurice moving with him, as far away as he possibly could, not letting his back face the creature before him, in fear of what may happen. The creature suddenly jumped up onto a low part of the wall, sitting with one leg crossed over the other, ankle resting on his knee.

"What do you want." It was more of a demand than a question.

Maurice's eyes went wide, his breath caught in his mouth. His fear only made the creature smile, his blackened teeth showing, almost like fangs.

"I… I need… need your help." Finally Maurice found his voice.

The creature rolled his eyes "Well _obviously _you want my help. That's what people always want, for me to come and give them help." The staccato of the creatures voice emphasizing the last words of his sentence as if he had said it over and over.

"My wealth," Maurice straightened himself up finally, gaining in courage. "Its gone, I want it back – I tried getting it back, but nothing worked. Please I need it."

The creature narrowed his eyes and scoffed at the old man, "that is all? Money problems?"

Jumping off the ledge, the creature suddenly bounded toward Maurice, black claws wrapping his hand around Maurice's cloak pulling him closer so as to be able to feel the creatures breath on his face.

Maurice paled and shook his head. "No. its-its not all that. I have a family, I need them to be helped. I made a mistake a terrible mistake. Im in debt, they are coming for me. I need my wealth back so I can pay them off, keep my family safe. P-Please sir." Maurice's eyes were wild with fear, the creature so close he could almost taste the breath of the Dark One. Finally a small smile broke out onto the creatures face, letting Maurice go He swivvled around clapping his hands with glee and walking back toward the tree that had been growing within the ruins.

"Ah, I see I see. You need me to _save _you from the money lenders. Offering to break your legs are they?" the creature spun to face Maurice, the old man on his knees, weak in fear and desperation, the creatures smile menacing.

"Well, lucky for you, I am in a generous mood!" the creature trilled his r as he waved his hand in a dramatic flourish. Maurice couldn't believe his ears, the creature would help him?

"uh uh uh." The creature raised a finger to Maurice, as if to stop him from saying anything else

"I can help you, For a price." The creatures chin lowered, his eyes fixed upon Maurice's face. A wicked gleam escaped onto the face of The Dark One as Maurice fidgeted nervously, not even able stand in his presence. The Dark One could smell the fear radiating off the old man as he trembled in his boots. This is one of his favorite parts about making deals, the fear and respect from everyone and anyone.

"Anything you want." Was Maurices whispered reply. The Dark Ones snear turning into a satisfied smile.

"I love it when they say anything." The Dark One placed a black finger to the side of his mouth in mock contemplation, walking back and fourth, brow furrowed but his eyes were all a gleam. As if coming to a dramatic conclusion the Dark One spun to face the old man.

"How about your life." The staccato of the Dark Ones Request reverberated off the walls of the old cottage.

Belles breath caught in her throat, Maurice began to sweat, the Dark One narrowed his eyes in anticipation.

"You want my life? To kill me?" Maurice all but whispered, not daring to look the Dark One in the eye.

The Dark One again waved his hand, "No No No, not _kill _you, not right away anyway. No first I want you to grovel at my feet, be a slave and maybe my foot rest for a while, My throne is rather high and I do hate when my legs dangle." Rumpelstiltskin's eyes danced with glee. "Then, I will cut off your head, shrink it and then add it to my collection of Nobles." The Dark One laughed in glee, Maurice clutching his neck as if feeling the blade against his throat.

"If I agree to the deal, you will save my family?"

The Dark One smiled, "I will make sure your lovely girls will want for nothing." With a flick of the wrist, Rumpelstiltskin summoned a long scroll from a puff of smoke along with a black and purple quill.

"A contract, Lord Maurice, riches and family protection in exchange for your life." His eyes beaming with satisfaction as Maurice slowly stood and moved closer to the Dark One, examining the contract before him. Maurice's shaking hand took the quill from Rumpelstiltskins hand, He dared not look the Dark One in the eye. A snap of a twig made Maurice start and stare behind the Dark One, Rumpelstiltskin tilting his head toward the Tree behind.

"Come on out, Dearie, we know your there. Not so _stealthy _are you?"

Belle winced from her spot behind the wall. Taking a few deep breaths in Belle slid from her spot and ducked out from behind the tree. He was taller than she was, but not as tall as her father, which surprised her. His back was to her, she could see the scales of his jacket in the moonlight, his mess of hair waved to his shoulders. He was not physically imposing, but there was an aura about him that made Belle shiver, magic sizzled around him, she could sense it.

Slowly Belle came into the view of the moonlight, her eyes never straying from the dark one as she circled around him to move toward her father who had jolted back when he saw her.

" What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here!" Fear crossed Maurice's face as Belle grabbed ahold of his arm, removing the quill from his hands. She was facing the Dark One now, seeing him in the moonlight as the clouds pulled back. His grey skin glistened in the newfound light, yellow and black teeth showing as he smiled at the beauty, his golden eyes focussing on her before him. She met his stare with her own dark eyes, making him tilt his head in curiosity.

"Well my lovely, Glad you could grace us with your presence, I wasn't sure you would have the courage to come out from your hiding place, you must be quite cramped Dearie."

Belle swallowed but didn't dare look away.

"What are you doing Papa?" Belle whispered to her father who was trembling at her side.

"You cant be here child, leave now." Maurice pleaded with her fervently. Finally Belle stole her eyes away from the man infront of her to look at her Father, shivering in his boots.

"I heard everything Father, you don't need to do this. We can find a way out, you should have come to me, confided in me." Belle was furious at her father, and worried all at once.

Maurice only shook his head. "Ive tried every option, everything. To no avail. This is our last option. Im dead either way."

Belle searched her fathers face, trying to come up with something. The Dark One stood patiently by, carefully watching the two, a sly smile on his face.

Belles breath became quickened as realisation dawned on her face, there was only one way. She didn't let her eyes go from Maurice's face as she spoke.

"Take me."

Maurice faltered, the Dark One sneered and laughed.

"I was _waiting _for you to say that. I do enjoy being right about people."

Belle glared at the Dark One ignoring his comment and taking a bold step forward.

"You will change the contract. You protect my family, save my father and my life is yours."

Maurice began to protest, but Belle silenced him with one look of determination.

"This is my choice Papa. Let me save you."

Rumpelstiltskin glowered then with a puff of purple smoke he produced a new contract. Stepping delicately toward the girl and her father.

"New and improved Dearie, all I need is your name." He smiled wickedly.

Belle looked from the contract to the Dark One, her breath evening out as she looked the Dark One over.

"Belle," she said straightening her shoulders. "my name is Belle."

"Belle." Rumpelstiltskin emphasized every phoneme of her name, as if tasting it.

"Beautiful. That's what it means, eh Dearie. Such a… delight of a name." The Dark One bared his teeth getting very close to Belle, daring her to look away.

She wouldn't be afraid, she would not stand down. Looking her over he gave an appreciative hum at her bravery. Bravery or stupidity, he couldn't decide, not that it mattered to him.

"Well, Belle, a deal is a deal. I will save your family from the evil money lenders and you will come with me to follow my every request and desire." His eyes narrowed as he thrust the contract toward her. Quick as she could, Belle scribbled her signature on the dotted line, ignoring the nasty gleam that crossed the Dark Ones face and her Fathers cries.

"No Belle!" but it was too late.

With a flourish of the hand, the contract was gone along with the quill in Belles hand.

"Excellent! Well, looks like we came up with a deal. Your wealth shall be restored, best head home to your _remaining _daughter. You no longer have anything more to offer me." The Dark One snaked an arm around Belles shoulders bringing her close.

"But, Dark One, please…"

With a wave of his hand, Belle and the Dark One disappeared into a haze of purple smoke. Maurice ran forward to where the two were standing, just an empty space at the centre of the ruins. Belle was gone.


	4. Dungeons and Dragons

Belle found herself hurled into a dungeon of sorts, tripping over her blue skirts as she fell face first into the dirt and straw that lay on the ground. The travel by magic had made her dizzy and a bit sick – The ruins of the cottage had dissolved along with her Father behind her, calling her name as the Dark One transported them to wherever she was currently. But her eyes had never once left the face of her new master, her death.

Taking deep breaths Belle tried to stop the room from spinning. Her hands and knees throbbed from the force of falling to the ground, her head pounding in her skull as she attempted to adjust to the dark and dank dungeon of her new life. Her breathing was shaky as she pulled herself off the floor and attempted to regain her composure. Belle surveyed the room; the Door behind her where she came in was large, with heavy wood and a window with bars. She noted the small window in front of her, not big enough to get out of unfortunately, though perhaps she could fit an arm, maybe her shoulder. She looked to her right and saw a small cot for sleeping with no blankets or any form of comfort there or anywhere in the small room, and next to the bed attached to the wall were two shackles, with the appearance of dried blood on them, their presence unnerved Belle. A dungeon, for sure.

"Well, I always said I wanted an adventure…" Belle bristled under her breath wiping the straw and dust from her sore hands. Wincing she looked down, she had scraped her palms on the floor where she landed, shallow cuts glowing red in what little moonlight there was available. If she wasn't killed right away then perhaps an infection would end her misery. Belle shook the dark thoughts from her mind; she would never give into her misery completely or beg for mercy from this beast. However, she decided –raising an eyebrow – she definitely didn't have to go quietly into that silent night. Quick as she could Belle scurried over to the door and grasped the bars of the small window that allowed her to look out into the hall, and pressed up onto her tip toes to be able to see out the window. Her view wasn't too good but if she pressed her cheek as close as she could against the bars she could, slightly, make out a torch on the grey stone wall to her left. Pressing her left cheek to the bars she could see down a hallway and yet another torch. Belle removed her face from the bar and bit her lip. It had appeared she may be in the only prison cell, judging the size of the room she was in, she would have seen other doors. Though, Belle mused, she wasn't too familiar with prison cells, maybe they were deceptively far apart; maybe there were hundreds of cells. What if the entire place was nothing but cells for poor victims of this creature to live out their lives, prisoners of darkness?

"Hey!" Belle called out as loud as she could, her voice echoing down the empty hall. As standing on her toes made her feet sore, she was jumping up as she yelled again,

"Hello!" nothing but a hollow echo came back to her.

Over and over Belle jumped up and yelled, jumped and yelled until her legs were wobbly and her voice hoarse. Where ever she was, she was completely alone. And not alone the way she liked, but utterly, wholly, and totally alone.

Defeated and tired, Belle took a few wobbling steps toward the cot and collapsed into a sitting position on the edge. Looking around and seeing her new reality, she placed her face in her hands, letting the tears finally flow freely.

Belle did not move from her cot all night, watching as a little patch of light crept through the tiny window, dust particles pirouetting through the air as the light slowly moved along the floor. She had her knees drawn up to her chin, arms wrapped around her legs and she was trying to find a way to distract herself from the doom she had created for herself. But her mind kept wavering back to the deal maker, the Dark One. Something about him was familiar but she didn't know what it was. She chewed on her bottom lip trying to remember every detail but all she could do was see her Fathers face, his horrified look. Belle closed her eyes and rubbed her face, in attempts at erasing the memory. If she were to keep her wits about her and bear the position she was in she would have to forget. Maybe there was some sort of magic potion for that?

A clang brought her attention back to the present. Looking toward the door she saw a plate of food had appeared, the purple smoke just clearing away. Magic food? Belles eyes went wide, she had never seen magic in her life, didn't even know it existed and now she has been party to magical transportation and magic food. Oh how the mind reels.

Getting off her spot on the cot she edged toward the food, leading with her feet, head back and face skeptical as if the food were an explosive, leaning down she quickly picked up the plate and brought it up to her face. It certainly resembled food, the mush was a greenish colour, but the smell gave no hints as to the properties of it. She poked the side of it with a finger. Felt like porridge but looked like mashed peas. Absolutely horrendous concoction that would not be edible.

"Can I get some _Real _food, if it pleases you?" Belle yelled haughtily to the window of her cell door, only her echo reaching back. "Helloooo" Belle sang out, placing the plate back on the floor, waiting for something, anything. Why give her food if the intent was to let her die alone in her cell? Belle decided that there had to be someone, that she wasn't alone.

"What is the point of me being here? Hello? Why don't you just kill me already? Why bother feeding me?" Belle stomped over to the door and started kicking it repeatedly, angry bangs rattling down the halls. She would make as much racket as she could, even if it did nothing but give her a place to vent her anger. It was not fear that powered her it was anger. She had yet to let fear into her heart and she was proud of that, and damned if she allowed any fear in while she was incarcerated.

"Yes yes Dearie you do have a point."

Belle gasped and spun around. Sitting on the cot, legs crossed and arms behind their head sat the Dark One himself. Belle set her jaw and planted her hands on her hips as she glared at him, trying to be bold, but he only smiled in return, a demeaning smile with an evil glint in his eye.

"Oh you do look scrumptious with your hands on your hips dearie, very feisty Very you. I had hoped to get you started on mopping the floors but perhaps I will just gut and quarter you then make you into stew hmm?" A giggle escaped his lips.

Belle slowly dropped her hands and stared at him in disbelief, her eyes becoming large. But Rumpelstiltskin sensed no fear, which unnerved him for a moment, but he brushed that aside with a wave of his hand, attributing it to stupidity on her part.

"Well then, you have my attention dearie. What do you want? I see you have scuffed my door, and neglected the nourishment I provided." He trilled as he slowly walked around her, circling her like a vulture, his eyes wandering over her petite form. Belle became suddenly insecure, crossing her arms over her chest, her face hot as he circled her.

"Are you going to kill me then?"

Rumpelstiltskin was suddenly two inches from her face, close enough for Belle to feel his breath on her skin, his hand on her throat, tight enough to control the movements of her head but not so tight as to constrict her breathing.

"Is that what you want, little girl? To die?"

Belle grabbed at his hands, trying in vain to free herself. She was soon shoved up against the wall, his forearm placed violently across her collar bone, pinning her in place. Belle winced and breathed heavily as Rumpelstiltskin pressed his face as close as he could without touching her, searching her face for…something.

As suddenly as she was against the wall, she was released from his grasp and she staggered, trying not to fall to the ground. Rumpelstiltskin turned on his heel and used magic to open the cell door.

"Come along Dearie, we shall give the lady a tour."

Meekly Belle rubbed her jaw and followed him out the cell, as they walked down the stony hall Belle noted the other dungeons and the torches lit up in front of them, and were extinguished after they passed. Belle took in every sight and every smell, trying hard to put everything into her memory bank in case she would need to retrieve it later.

They entered a large room, drenched in dark reds; Tapestries covered the walls, and trinkets galore. The massive windows were covered in thick red curtain, a large table at the center. As Rumpelstiltskin sat at the only chair in the table, Belle discretely noticed a spinning wheel in the corner in front of her.

"Come here, Dearie." Rumpelstiltskin nearly spit out that last word, Belle pursing her lips and furrowing her brow.

"I have a name; you can use it you know." Belle was surprised at the tone of her voice, she had seen him use magic before meaning he could probably turn her into a snail at the snap of his fingers, and considering he was only a few inches taller than she and not appearing to have a great mass of muscles, he still seemed to be able to hurl her against a wall with great ease. She should be wary of the creature before her.

Rumpelstiltskin smirked at her daring. "Come here, _Belle._"

Raising her chin, Belle delicately walked closer to her captor, Rumpelstiltskin raising a hand to his face, rubbing his chin in amusement. When she was a foot away from him she stopped and clasped her hands behind her back and planted her feet firmly on the ground, making direct eye contact.

"Closer, _Belle, _I have… a gift." With a flourish of his hands and a puff of purple smoke, Rumpelstiltskin produced a glowing golden necklace, the fine chains linked together creating a braid, at the center stood a small sapphire-like stone, shimmering as if enchanted. Belle looked from him, to the necklace, then back to him again.

"Jewelry? You're giving me jewelry?" Belle deadpanned.

"Yes."

Belle looked at him as if he had bugs crawling out of his ears, raised her arm and pointed at him and back at her as she spoke.

"You," she emphasized "are giving, me -your captive; the person you threw into a cell- Your giving me jewelry?"

"Well, it's more like… a collar." Rumpelstiltskin got out of his seat and swept aside Belles tresses before she could respond, the Gold necklace humming close to her ear as he wrapped it around her neck. Rumpelstiltskin closed the latch and took a step backward.

At first the necklace just glowed, but then Belle felt a searing pain on her collar as the necklace turned a brighter shade of yellow. Belle let out a gasp and clutched at the necklace, burning her hands.

"What's happening!" panic had set in as Belle clutched at the necklace, Rumpelstiltskin ignoring her as he produced a cup of tea with a wave of the hand and taking a seat at his chair once more.

The glowing finally dissipated, the necklace turning a more natural shade of gold, the shimmer of the sapphire dulling to a darker blue. Belle was clawing at the necklace, looking for the clasp, but the clasp had disappeared.

"What the hell is this?" Belle demanded

Rumpelstiltskin sighed dramatically, "I told you. It's a collar. Now you cannot leave this castle. If you try to jump out of a window, sneak through a crack in the wall, you will feel a pain so great you will wish for death." With that he took another sip of his tea.

"Why?" Belle whispered.

"Well you are now one of my things. A moving living thing, I can't have you escaping now." He stood walking over to the fireplace to the left of the table, magically conjuring a fire.

"It cannot be removed either, so don't even bother. You are mine. Forever. Now, let's put you to some use. I know for a fact you know how to handle a broom, and I assume you know how to make tea, so your duties now will consist of cleaning the castle, serving me all my meals, bringing me straw for when I spin, cleaning my clothes, whatever I request or desire."

Belle took a slow breath. "No."

Rumpelstiltskin slowly turned to face her. "No?" he said mockingly

Belle folded her arms and stuck out her hip. "No. that is not our deal."

Rumpelstiltskin narrowed his eyes. But Belle didn't back down.

"No, you said you wanted my life. There is nothing in our contract saying that I had to be a slave to you, I know, I read every word. Who signs a contract without reading it, really?" Belle stifled a smile as she watched the Dark One sputter and twitch his hands.

"Let me make you a deal." She raised an eyebrow at him, his eyes narrowing.

"I will agree to be your _servant_" she emphasized the word "If you remove this collar."

"Out of the question, that collar cannot be removed now. Nothing I can do, Dearie." He spat, getting closer to her.

Belle pursed her lips, it was worth a try.

"Why don't I just kill you?" Rumpelstiltskin challenged.

Belle just shrugged her shoulders, "I don't think you will."

"Oh No?" He was closer now. Belle daringly got close to his face, him glaring at her.

"If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it by now."

Rumpelstiltskin considered what she said for a while.

"What _else _do you want?" He queried with a sneer.

"My food then. I want better food, none of this mush stuff. And a proper room, with a bed and linens and washing basin. If I'm to be slaving away all day, I want to at least be able to relax at night. Give me these small trifles and I will do all the servant stuff you so desire me to do. Do we have a deal?" She finally let herself give a small half smile.

Rumpelstiltskin stepped back, examining her. "Fine, deal. But you will do everything I ask of you. Everything. If you don't, then back to the dungeon with large welts on your back."

Belle held out her hand to complete the transaction. Rumpelstiltskin considered her small hand, as if afraid it would bite him, and he gingerly shook it.

Belle smiled triumphantly, "Pleasure doing business with you. Master." She gave a mock curtsy Rumpelstiltskin sneering once again.


	5. The Wintry Beggar

Opening yet another door that lead to a long and winding corridor, Belle finally admitted to herself that she was completely, utterly and hopelessly lost.

"It's like new corridors just spring up out of nowhere every day!" she huffed to herself, her voice bouncing off the highly decorated walls. She had yet to see a single person in the three weeks she had been at the Dark Castle. All her life she had been surrounded by people, being that she was the youngest of three and lived in a large home filled with servants. Even when she was alone in her father's library or reading in her bedroom, she always was comforted to know that in the very next room or somewhere in the house there was somebody, living out their own story. But not in the Dark Castle – not with the Dark One. That's what they called him she found out a week after she had arrived at the home of Rumpelstiltskin. A beggar had pounded on the massive oak doors that guarded the entrance into the castle, Belle almost losing her footing when the poor man tumbled onto her after she pulled the doors open.

"I wish to speak with the dark one missus…" the man had rasped, his lips were chapped and revealed blackened teeth, years of decay. His face had little patches of purple frost bite from the harsh winter that surrounded the place; his clothing tattered and hung onto him in a wet mass. She realised as she helped the man back onto his feet that he must have travelled to the castle on foot. She glanced behind his shoulder looking into the blistering cold, the snow whipping around madly as the storm worsened. Not letting go of the man's arm, Belle heaved the door back into place, stopping the whiteness from further entering the house. She turned back to the beggar who had fallen back onto his knees, his face pressed to her feet as he repeated his request to speak to the Dark One. Belle knelt down and again brought the man to his feet, he not once meeting her eye.

"You're nearly frozen to death, you must come inside and warm up, and I can make tea, maybe find something for you to eat…"

The beggar glanced up at the little beauty, blinking his eyes in response to her warm smile, eyes large and sympathetic, as if he had never witnessed warmth or kindness in his entire life. Belle straightened, realising that perhaps he really had never witness kindness before. Without another word she gently guided the man around the large table that sat in the center of the foyer and led him through a few doors until they entered the main hall, a large fire lit. Leading him quickly to one of the large leather seats that sat close to the fire, Belle gently sat the man down, drawing up a blanket that had been lying on the arm of the chair. She then walked over to the long wooden table where she had left her tea things, quickly pouring a generous cup of tea and walking it over to the poor man shivering by the fire.

"Here, drink this, it may help with the cold." The man greedily took the cup and immediately downed the whole thing, not once flinching at the heat that seared down his throat. Belle quickly brought the whole pot back to her new guest, sensing that one cup would not suffice. After a second cup was poured the man then opening stared at the woman before him, really looking her over. Belle had taken to stoking the fire with a poker, making the flames a bit larger as she tossed another log onto the fire. She glanced back at the man, making him stare back at his cup in shame.

"Forgive me missus, I was not expecting…" he looked at her again, "well… you."

Belle smiled softly again, folding her hands on top of her blue dress. The man surveyed the room again, taking in the tapestries and trinkets, his eyes wide at the grandeur of the room.

"I aint never been in a place quite like this…" he whispered, sipping the warm beverage again, he was beginning to get the feeling back into his hands, the fire glowed on his dry face, increasing the deep lines that had set, his eyes red from exhaustion. He looked at Belle again, this time with new curiosity in his eyes.

"Are you the lady of the house?" he asked, eyeing her dress that was finer than any he had seen, though it did look a bit plain to be the dress of the mistress of the Dark Castle. The glint of a find gold chain and dark blue jewel sparkled around the beauty's neck. Definitely not the necklace of a servant he thought, and too clean and proper to be of lower birth like him.

Belle blinked her brow furrowing as she thought about what he had asked. She decided not to answer him; instead she wished to know what he had been doing all the way there.

"You came to see… the Dark One?" she asked, the name giving her shivers as she said it.

The beggar's eyes widened as he remembered his purposes. Before he could answer the hairs on their necks began to stand as the familiar sensation of magic filled the room.

"Who is that, in my chair?"

The beggars face paled at the imp's voice, Belle glancing up behind the leather backing of the chair to where Rumpelstiltskin was standing, a wicked gleam in his eye. In a puff of reddish smoke the dark one rematerialized between Belle and the beggar, Rumpelstiltskin grabbing the poor shivering man by the shirts and lifting him up onto his feet, the force making the beggar cry out in fear. Rumpelstiltskin threw the man onto the floor near the centre table, and grinned, slowly walking toward the quaking man as he tried to crab crawl backwards in vain as he hit the leg of the massive table. Rumpelstiltskin's leather boots echoed off the floor as he neared to the man, leaning down so that his face was close so close to the beggars, that Rumpelstiltskin could smell the fear dripping down the beggars face, eyes wide and mouth slack.

Belle was frozen at her spot in front of the fire, completely dumb from fright. She suddenly remembered herself, realising she had to interject and rescue the poor man.

"He was cold…" She began; Rumpelstiltskin had grabbed at the man's neck and froze in place when she spoke. "He-he was cold and so I let him in. look at him, I think he's injured…" she waved at the purplish black patches on the man's face. Rumpelstiltskin tilted his head toward his main, his upper lip curling in a sneer, tightening his grip on the man's throat. The beggar sputtered his pleases to the Dark One as he tried to swallow in the air that was being squeezed out of his lungs. Belle's face became suddenly alarmed as the beggars face turned a shade of blue. She became enraged suddenly and lunged at her masters' arm, trying to pull it from the beggars' throat, Rumpelstiltskin only smiling wickedly as he unlatched his hand from the man's throat and threw Belle backwards with such force the air went out of her lungs when she hit the floor. The beggar was gasping at the new air that burned his lungs as he pathetically crawled back towards the double doors he had entered through, passing Belle who had slowly sat up rubbing her head in pain. Rumpelstiltskin was suddenly at the doors blocking the man's path, the beggar looking up and asking for mercy.

"Well, I admit it was brave of you to bear the weather…" Rumpelstiltskin sang, a flourish of his hands to the drawn curtains that hid the large windows overlooking the castle grounds. "Brave or stupid, I'm going to go with stupid however." He narrowed his eyes, smiling at the Beggar who was now crying pathetically. Belle had not moved from her spot on the ground, only looked from master to beggar, not daring to say another word, though her face was still filled with anger and a tinge of hatred.

"Please," the beggar began, folding his hands in front of him as though in prayer, "please, I only seek your help, Dark One." The beggar bowed and kissed Rumpelstiltskin's dark boot in fealty. A muscle in the Dark Ones face twitched at the gesture, his amber eyes darkening at the gesture. He snarled and waved his hand at the beggar,

"Get up," he hissed moving away from the beggar, the man rising to his knees, not daring to look at the Dark Ones face. He stole a glance at Belle, her chest heaving slightly as she observed the proceedings.

"Please Dark One, I meant no disrespect, and the missus was only being kind, don't punish her…"

Rumpelstiltskin suddenly remembered his maid, narrowing his eyes at her, her anger only rising. She finally was able to stand shakily to her feet, squaring her shoulders, but she dared not take a step further, for fear that her master would only hurt the poor shivering man more if she did.

Finally after a long pause, Rumpelstiltskin giggled, putting on his menacing business face and sauntered over to the large table in the center, conjuring up a cup of tea.

"Well, Dearie. Since you came ALL this way to see little old me, why not tell me what you want."

The beggar scrambled to his feet and turned to the Dark One, licking his chapped lips and remembering his courage, now was his chance.

"I have a child, oh Dark One…" the beggar began to sweat again, pulling at the strings of his battered cloak, he shivered in fear -or cold, Belle could not determine, but the sweat on his brow and the way his hand shook as he pulled and pulled at the warn cloth declared his fear. Belle looked to Rumpelstiltskin, watching the pleasure warm his face. He enjoyed it, this fear – she could feel his power humming about him as if feeding off the beggars fears, powering him.

"She's everything I have…" he had been saying, tears pouring down his face as he was describing the child that had come ill with a disease that had battered his small village to the west of the Dark Castle. He begged the Dark One for his help, for mercy on the innocent child.

"Legend tells of your…your great power. You can stop wars with a wave of the hand, heal the sick without touching 'em." He pathetically lowered his head as he begged for the life of his daughter.

Bell was deeply moved by the man, heartbroken for his pain – but she feared that her master did not share in her empathy. His smile only widened at the man's story, the amber in his eye glinting.

"So, you want me to snap my fingers, make the sickness leave the village."

The beggar said no more, only nodded pathetically, his whole body shaking.

"Well, you have heard correctly. I can indeed heal your child, and the whole village, and I don't even have to leave the warmth of this fire." Rumpelstiltskin gestured to the fire, the blaze roared loudly at the movement, the flames licking upwards toward the ceiling in a flash before returning to their steady glow. Rumpelstiltskin sauntered over to the fire, his hand reaching deep into the coals, while he watched Belle's face paled in horror a gasp escaping from her lips, her hand reaching out to him as if to stop him from burning himself. He smile widely at her and winked as he quickly pulled his hand out, revealing a vial of some form of orange liquid, the vial glowing for a second before returning to a more normal state. With a skip in his step he danced over to the beggar and produced the vial in front of his face.

"A Healing elixir, just for your sweet girl. Only one drop will heal all ales, she will never be sick again. You can even spare some for the whole village." His smile grew wicked as he leaned closer, his nose wrinkling as he spoke, "or you can just keep it for yourself. For a rainy day." He graciously deposited the vial into the man's hand. His face was open in shock as we looked at the liquid inside and then back at the Dark One who was now tapping his long fingers together in front of his face, an impish laugh escaping him.

The man's face melted as he remembered the rest of the tales he had heard of the Dark One.

"What do you want in exchange?" his fear had come back to his face, his hands shaking.

Belle felt useless just standing there. She had not the courage to move, simply watching the events unfold before her, her throat was dry in anticipation. What would he have to give, she knew it had to be something steep as it looked like the man could offer nothing in exchange; he seemed to know this himself though he dared not voice his concerns.

The smile never left Rumpelstiltskin's face as he moved toward the double doors and opened them with a twist of the wrist.

"You came by the castle very easily, beggar. I cannot have people thinking that they can just barge in whenever they want, startling and then taking advantage of the help." He flourished his hand in Belle's direction, as he spun back around, mock horror on his face, his eyes still danced with wicked glee though.

"I would like, your silence, Beggar."

Relief washed over the man's face as he nodded furiously, he could keep a secret, not tell a soul. He knew he could do it.

"Of course, oh Dark One. I promise, my lips are sealed."

Rumpelstiltskin lowered his chin, giving his smile a more menacing appearance; chills ran down Belles spine at the look in his eyes. He was more frightening now than she had yet to witness.

"Yes." Then he gestured with his hand, the beggar suddenly collapsing to the ground, his back facing Belle. She let out a small cry and hurried over to where the man leaning, ready to help him up. When she reached down to help him up she let out a startled gasp, her hands quickly moving away from the man as she stumbled back, almost running into Rumpelstiltskin who had giggled again, clapping his hands. The man's mouth was disappearing, the skin melting as he tried in vain to open and close his mouth, hand frantically pulling at the place where his chapped lips had once been. Now the skin had bubbled over, his mouth was completely gone, all Belle could hear were muffled cries, his eyes wide in horror as he tried desperately to speak, hands feeling where his mouth had been, the vial on the floor in front. She was horrified but couldn't look away; her breathing became rapid as she tried to fathom what she had witnessed in front of her. In a puff of smoke the beggar and the vial were gone; the room was once again empty of the poor man who had stumbled into the castle.

Rumpelstiltskin appeared unmoved by what had occurred before him and simply sauntered over to the tea cup he had abandoned, almost making Belle stumble when he brushed past her. He stared at the spot where the man had been standing, then watched as Rumpelstiltskin as he poured himself another cup of tea from the pot that had remained by the side of the leather chair undisturbed. He took a taste then made a face at Belle, who was still dumbstruck.

"This tea is horrible, next time don't boil the water too hard." And he was back over to his spinning wheel, as if nothing had happened.

Belle recalled the events of that day as she wandered down the third long corridor she had come across in the labyrinth of the castle. The look on the man's face as his mouth melted was burned into Belle's memory.

The Dark One, he had called Rumpelstiltskin. She understood the title now, why her father had shrunk in fear each time he whispered her new masters' name. Never had she witnessed darkness like that – not since Gaston's beastly attack on her and his demise. She closed her eyes as the recalled that night, a night she had tried desperately to push from her memory. She could still feel the cold biting her throat, the grass beneath her and the pain of Gaston's desire as he bruised her bosom with his mouth. Belle took a sharp inhale as the fear overpowered her once more. No, she would not be afraid, that was a different Belle- Belle the fearful little girl, the delicate flower.

Belle grasped at a small side table that sat under a large painting in the hallway she was moving through, trying to steady her breathing and remove the fear of that night away from her memory, erase it. That was not who she was anymore, she whispered to herself, staring at the painting in front of her. It depicted a statuesque woman, blazing red hair flowed around her, and she had on a steely gaze, a whisper on a smile on her face. She looked strong and confident, her head held high and proud. That was who Belle was, that was who she wanted to be. Brave and strong, not afraid ever again. She was not a delicate flower, but a strong and beautiful rose with thorns protecting its stem from any harm. Belle smiled as her fear of almost two years ago vanished and was replaced with new strength. Nodding to the portrait of the lady she turned on her heel and ambled confidently down the hallway, trying each and every door, seeing what was inside. Rumpelstiltskin was indeed the Dark One and a monster she decided as she tried another door that was locked, much to her disappointment. He was not a man, but a wicked monster, she told herself as she found a door that had opened for her. Smiling she entered the room, which was caked in dust. All the furniture was covered with a thin sheet of cloth – as if shielded from the dirt. Belle furrowed her brow, none of the other rooms had their furniture covered, the dust had just settled and ruined them, why was this room different.

Checking behind her to be sure she was alone (which she foolishly remembered, she was) and she moved into the room, her skirts unsettling the dust that had formed on the warm brown rugs adorning the floor. To her left was a dresser, neatly displaying trinkets and toys, methodologically positioned. Lifting the sheet from the largest piece of furniture in the room, she uncovered a bed made for a child. Her eyes widened at this discovery – the bed displayed an elaborate headboard with images of knights battling dragons, and princesses in tall towers leaning out presenting flowers to their beau's. Belle gently touched the paint on the bed and then moved to the armour that stood in the corner. Opening it she revealed a closet full of clothing, the moth balls tickling her nose. The clothing was too small to belong to an adult she concluded, fingering the fine fabric of a small tunic that was carefully hung up, little bits of gold glinted in the seams. Belle traced a hand along the dusty table top, playing with a toy horse that was thick with dust.

This room was lovingly decorated, and carefully preserved. She felt her heart swell as she glanced around the room again, confusion and curiosity mingled together to form a tight knot in her chest as she gently closed the door behind her. Looking to her left she found a set of stairs leading downwards to the lower floor. "That was not there before…" she said to herself as she moved toward the stairs, glancing back at the door of the child's bedroom. Blinking she set back down the stairs in search of a way back to the kitchens so she could boil some tea and wonder at the room she had discovered.

"Rumpelstiltskin, who are you?" she said, trailing a hand along the bannister.


	6. For the Love of Books

**DISCLAIMER: Okay so I have done a bit of backtracking with my story, scrapping my last two published chapters. All apologies! I didn't like the way my other two chapters had turned out as they were way too similar to the television series direction and I felt a wee bit of writers block because of it, so I trashed those two, and amalgamated them into this chapter. **

**Again I apologise, enjoy!**

Her heart quickened in her chest as she raced down the spiral stone steps, trying her best not to miss one of the warped steps and fall. She came to another small window laced with diamond lattice and she quickly raised the sleeve of her blue dress and wiped away at the frost that had gathered within the tiny diamonds to peer out at the surroundings and Belle felt her heart fall once again. She was no longer looking out onto the east wing of the Castle grounds but rather the southern part, where the overgrown kitchen gardens were kept. How was this possible?

Belle had been descending downwards in a spiral for what appeared to be hours, each time she came across another window she was looking out onto a different part of the castle, at a different level. In a panic Belle once again raced down the stairs, her hand burning from gripping the rope that hung to the wall, acting as a bannister. She could feel the blood trickle from an open wound on her palm but she paid no heed; she needed to escape the eternal stair and find a way back to her sanity.

As the months of her chosen captivity pressed onwards, Belle came to realise that the Castle itself appeared to have a mind of its own; always changing its form and Belle only assumed that the Dark Ones magic was the cause. A plan to drive those that dared entered its walls into insanity? Was Belle just one of many other maids and poor souls tricked and stolen into the captivity of the Dark Castle? Was this punishment?

Belle stifled a despairing sob as she looked through another window only to find herself facing the western wall, this time it appeared she was two stories higher than before, though she had been descending the stair the whole time. She took a few staggering steps downward but had to stop herself, and rest against the cool grey brick, urging herself to breath slowly and deeply lest she faint. Belle collapsed on the steps and let everything go, all her fears and sorrow. She hadn't realised how exhausting it was trying to hide her fright from Rumpelstiltskin, instead opting to hold her chin high, always making as much eye contact as she could handle. She could tell it unnerved him a bit, and so she kept at it, always thanking him when he gave her a new order, smiling whenever he entered the room (though she never let it reach her eyes). But it wasn't her open defiance of her Master which landed her stuck in the eternal staircase of the castle, but rather her curiosity breaking the patience of the beast- a single question. Whose room did Belle stumble across?

Belle had placed the silver tea tray on the table next to Rumpelstiltskin's spinning wheel with a purposefully clumsy clang making his dark eyes dart over to her in annoyance. Instead of taking a few steps back as she ought to have done, Belle sat on the straw covered ground at his feet, facing him and delicately fanning her skirts around herself to secure her modesty. What she was quite sure she was appropriately sitting, she silently turned her large eyes up to the Dark One. They sat there for a small while, Rumpelstiltskin's hands frozen on the spinning wheel before him and Belle staring into his face. She could tell by the twitch in the right side of his mouth that Rumpelstiltskin was not at all comfortable with the way Belle was surveying him just then.

"Did you build this castle?" She asked innocently, the first one to break the silence. He narrowed his eyes and slowly reached for his cup of tea, stirring loudly and dropping his spoon with a clang back to the tray.

"No." was his curt reply behind porcelain and Belle pursed her lips slightly.

"So you stole it." She stated.

"I _procured _it." He sneered, taking a long drink of the tea before placing it back in its saucer. Belle was surprised that her master had answered her that much, she had expected him to shoo her out or threaten to kill her for the 100th time that month, but instead he stared at her as if interested in where the conversation was going, and Belle made the mistake to feel confident in her pursuit of knowledge.

_Curiosity is the downfall of the innocent._

"I came across a room while I was cleaning. It was different from the rest." She said at last, chewing on the inside of her cheek as she recalled the child's bedroom. Rumpelstiltskin raised his brows then began to spin once more, not saying a word. Belle focused on Rumpelstiltskin's swift movements, his lean fingers twisting the fibres of the straw with skill and precision. She returned her gaze to his face, determined to see his every reaction as she spoke.

"It wasn't cluttered with junk like the others. It could have been livable, or at least was at one point…" Belle trailed off, tapping her fingers nervously on her knees. Rumpelstiltskin hadn't flinched at all, and Belle wondered if he had begun to tune her out as he usually did, so she continued, this time at a slower pace.

"It looked like a child's room, a boy's room with toys and clothing and everything…"

Rumpelstiltskin abruptly stopped his spinning and Belle felt as if all the air had left the room. For a suffocating moment neither one of them moved or spoke, only the sounds of the fire cracking in the background accompanied the two sitting in the corner. Belle sat holding her breath for a short while, waiting for a response, which felt like an eternity to arrive.

"You went into the room." his voice was almost at a whisper, a dark look eclipsed his features making him more fearful than any time Belle had witnessed before. Her mind was screaming for her to run away or hide but she stayed where she was, eyes securely fixed upon the Dark Ones darkened face.

"Whose room is it?" Belle pushed her heart beating louder and faster with each moment. Rumpelstiltskin stood then so abruptly Belle found herself falling backwards, catching herself on the cold stone at the last minute.

"Never EVER go to that part of the castle again!" The magic energy which buzzed around the Dark One extinguished all the light and warmth from the room, till just his cold low voice was heard along with the thud of his leather soles against the stone floor as he took one quick step toward Belle on each of his words. Belle quickly scrambled backwards as fast as she could – a sort of crab crawl away from the beast. She felt the press of the wall against her back too soon and she ungracefully moving to her feet just as Rumpelstiltskin made his final stand before her, grabbing onto each of her wrists and roughly pinning them to either side of her face against the wall, the leather of his vest pressing against the front of her chest crudely, forcing the back of her head to make contact with the wall in response.

Belle gritted her teeth and winced against the pain, her chest heaving heavily against his weight. His face was so close to hers that Belle could see every detail of his uneven skin, and the eyes which were so dark now that Belle could swear she saw her own small reflection inside them. They stood there in stubborn silence, both breathing heavily and for so long with her hands raised above herself that Belle slowly lost the feeling in the tips of her fingers. She wanted desperately to check to make sure her hands weren't turning blue but she didn't have the courage to move her tense glaze from his face. Anger, fear and pain flashed quickly through the dark eyes of her Master.

Rumpelstiltskin's brow twitched ever so slightly and both of them became very aware of each other's heavy breathing, now more of a simultaneous panting and slowly Belle realised she was inappropriately close to her Master. She could feel the warmth of his hands on her wrists, the pressure of his body against hers and the heavy beating of his heart; she was surprised that the beast even had a pulse. Belle flushed red then, chiding herself silently, _of course he had a pulse._

Her blush must have unnerved Rumpelstiltskin, probably assuming the rouging of her cheeks was due to their very intimate position, and he quickly removed himself from her person and quickly drew away from her, his right hand twitching idly at his side. Belle lowered her arms back to her sides, the tingling sensation telling her that she would soon regain the feeling to her hands, and slumped against the wall feeling a lump forming in her throat.

Averting his gaze to somewhere to the side of Belle's face, Rumpelstiltskin raised his right hand and pointed at her, "Never go to that part of the castle again." He stated in an unsteady whisper, backing up then returning to his wheel, opening and closing his fists to stretch his fingers.

Belle felt her lower lip twitch slightly, wetness welling in her eyes. Determined to not let him see her tears, Belle quickly slid against the wall, and left the room as fast as her shaking legs would take her, never daring to wipe her face until she was a safe distance away from him.

That had been two days prior, and Belle had not seen Rumpelstiltskin since then. She rested the back of her head against the brick and closed her eyes despairingly. She would starve in that stairwell, she knew it. Never had she come across a doorway leading outwards to freedom, Belle even forgot how she ended up inside the stairwell in the first place. How long had she been in there? Was she wandering for half an hour? Half a day? Belle rubbed her tired eyes with the palm of her hand, hissing in pain when she remembered the rope burns. Was this punishment? Had Rumpelstiltskin finally tired of his new pet? Belle dejectedly stood from her spot and moved slowly around another bend in the stair, kicking her blue skirts out from her feet so she wouldn't trip on them. She stopped dead in her tracks when she beheld the first door she had seen all day. As if afraid it was a mirage, Belle hesitantly reached out and gently felt the wood of the door, and noting the very real feel of the rough oak, Belle gave a decent shove, swinging the door out and allowing a cool gust of air to fill the stale stairwell.

Belle rushed forward and left the stair, shoving the door closed behind her as if afraid the castle would change its mind and suck Belle back into her spirally tomb. She found herself standing in a great hall with colourful ceiling high windows that, in the daylight, would lighten the entire hall with many colours. It appeared, however, that evening had decided to descend upon the Dark Castle, and unfortunately Belle could not make out which parts of the gardens this hallway faced.

At the end of the corridor stood two very large doors, similar to the entrance way to Rumpelstiltskin's great hall where most of the events of the castle took place (oddly enough, considering the size of the castle). With a small shove she hesitantly entered the room and gasped.

On very shaky legs, Belle slowly moved forward, trying to slow her breathing as she took in the massive library that opened before her. At least four levels made up the entirety of the room, each level packed to the ceiling with books. On the main floor were a few shelves of books and several alcoves that curved into comfortable sitting areas, each holding its own window with stained glass depicting their own stories and probably casting very delightful lights during the daytime, and glancing upwards Belle found herself staring at three massive skylights, the stars in the sky shining brightly at that time and moonlight streamed down into the room. It was an exquisite library, far more luxurious than any library she had seen and much larger than the one at her father's old manor. And standing by the massive fireplace at the end of the room, stood Rumpelstiltskin, book open in his palm and idling fiddling with the mantle clock.

Belle quickly darted her eyes around the room speechless as she slowly tried to process everything before her. Rumpelstiltskin had sensed her presence and snapped the book in his hands shut. With a slight smile he slowly made his way toward Belle cautiously, every so often dragging a hand along the table in the center of the room strewn with books. He studied the awed Belle with a look that Belle could only describe as severe hesitance.

"This is…" Belle stuttered quietly, motioning around the room. "It's…" she faltered, now looking at Rumpelstiltskin who rested a good ten steps in front of her, his hands clasped in front of him in silence.

"It's a library, Dearie." He said a bit too harshly and he furrowed his brow immediately after in regret.

"It's beautiful." She gasped. Rumpelstiltskin blinked and then twitched his mouth into a guilty smile.

"I didn't know you had a library."

"You didn't ask."

They both stood there staring at each other, Belle more confused than ever, and Rumpelstiltskin still looking unsure of himself. Belle began to smile slowly, a bewildered look pressed in her gaze as she tried to find the words to describe how she was feeling. Did he allow her the access to the library? Was this a gift of sorts or apology? How did he know? She could feel the warm pools of tears forming again in her eyes and she burned a bit with embarrassment, blinking uncontrollably in an attempt to brush the tears away.

"This is silly. I don't know why I'm crying." She chuckled half-heartedly, using the back of her hand to wipe a tear that fell to her cheek. With a trembling lip and a smile on her face Belle moved toward Rumpelstiltskin and without a thought wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a tight hug of gratitude.

Rumpelstiltskin froze in place, his arms to his sides unsure of what to do. Belle held on tightly, smiling wider and wider finding comfort in the creature that just a few days prior had scared her into tears. Finally Belle felt Rumpelstiltskin relax under her grip, allowing her to continue her embrace. She pulled back and wiped more of her tears from her face, sheepishly laughing to herself. Concern now crossed Rumpelstiltskin's face as he looked at her rope burned palms now dried with blood.

"Your injured." He said, grasping at her hands very delicately. Belle wanted to jerk away but instead allowed him to inspect her self-inflicted injuries. With a wave of his hand, Belle felt a slight tingling sensation and when she looked down, all trace of her wounds were completely gone. Belle's breath hitched in her throat as she looked disbelievingly up at Rumpelstiltskin. His eyes were a deep amber colour now as they held Belles gaze, and she felt a strong sense of warmth for the man before her. She wasn't sure if she liked him, but he had shown her a kindness that a true beast or monster would never have given her– though she was determined to remember that he had yet to apologise for anything he had done.

"You can be kind when you want to be." Belle stated, noting a flicker in his eye.

"I am not kind." He nearly spat, and Belle chuckled, shaking her head. "What?" he asked sharply.

"You say that, Rumpelstiltskin, and yet here you are showing me kindness." She wagged a finger at him, her other hand on her hip.

"I don't know what you are referring to, maid. This is but another room for you to clean." He said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Belle clucked her tongue and bounced onto her toes slyly. "You are giving me a library by way of apologising."

"I am not giving you anything." He fumed, circling around Belle and heading for the door.

Belle only smirked and quirked a brow, picking up a book from the table in front of her.

"Of course, Rumple. Whatever helps the big bad Dark One sleep at night." She chuckled into the book as she crossed the room to plop down onto an ottoman that was facing the blazing fireplace.

Rumpelstiltskin huffed for a moment in place, opening and shutting his mouth like a fish before finally growling in response, snapping his fingers and disappearing into a plume of smoke.

Belle glanced up at the spot that he was once standing in and bit her lip, a knowing smile on her lips, before returning to the new treasure in her now healed hands.


End file.
